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I am inexplicably bad at aiming with a mouse

For some reason I have always been bad at aiming in FPS/TPS games with a mouse. I think mouse is much better than a controller, but I don't know why, I can't get it right.

Interesting. Can you pick out a spot on you desktop without problems? If so it may be an input issue.
 
I've heard people say this, and honestly I think a lot of the time is that mouse games generally have no aim assist where controllers do. It's not always noticable, but most FPS and shooters have at least somewhat of aim assist that can make you feel like it was all you.
 
I'm a bad aim with mouse or controller, especially if I have to move and shoot at the same time. It's the main reason I avoid most pure shooter titles these days.

I could be as frustrating to watch for a FPS fan as that polygon Doom gif and I've been playing these games since the beginning off the genre.
 
I've heard people say this, and honestly I think a lot of the time is that mouse games generally have no aim assist where controllers do. It's not always noticable, but most FPS and shooters have at least somewhat of aim assist that can make you feel like it was all you.

There shouldn't be ANY aim assist when you're using a mouse.
 
I need to go from wrist aiming to shoulder aiming. But I've never commited to it long enough to make it feel natural. I think it supposedly makes a big difference to aiming if you learn this, as it makes your muscle memory more reliable for judging turning distances.

On Overwatch I use a DPI of 1600 and an ingame sensitivity of 4 and a polling rate of 1000 (playing at 1080p). Also invest in a mouse cable holder (it doesn't have to be expensive, the cheap ones do the job. for example, this is the best ÂŁ3.54 I've ever spent). As someone else has posted, this is a great tool for getting the right set up for your monitor res. https://pyrolistical.github.io/overwatch-dpi-tool/
 
Thanks for the advice guys. I have lowered my mouse DPI to 800, and will lower my mouse sensitivity in game. After work I'll give it a try and see if it's any better. I think my issue is likely wrist aiming and too high sensitivity where I can 360 multiple times with small movements.

I have a large mousepad that I used to use, but ever since I moved about a year and a half ago, the desk I switched to has a pull out keyboard and mouse tray, which isn't large enough to fit the big mousepad on so I have to use a small one. I might try clearing off the top of the desk and seeing if I can fit the mousepad up there though.
 
After beating Doom, I tried playing BF 1 on my friends Ps4.

I suck hardcore at joystick fps. Weird, since my first fps was Goldeneye
 
After beating Doom, I tried playing BF 1 on my friends Ps4.

I suck hardcore at joystick fps. Weird, since my first fps was Goldeneye

C-Strafing was a whole different beast though. Goldeneye was my first as well. For some reason it just clicked. I recall playing a console FPS some time after that utilizing two analogue sticks, and I sucked at first as well. Took some adjustment.
 
Has anyone tried those screen dot things?

Maybe that would help OP. Put a bright red dot (or even a piece of paper) on the center of your sights on your screen, could be a concentration/aim problem.

I've seen people use "sticky" dots too.

Another tip is anticipate and move your shots to where their body is moving too. Sort of like leading a target, but don't lead by too much.
 
Some things in here are true but in the end everything is practice. You could be the wrist or arm typ (both are valid, wrist will just kill your Hand if you dont take care). Try to lower the sense and work yourself up, use the Ana Training Methode in practice mode
 
As others have said, getting use to lower sensitivity in FPS games will help your aim a LOT. When I gradually changed my in game sensitivity in Overwatch down to 6 from 12 (at 1600dpi at 1440p) it was a revelation. My aim is much much better than it use to be. In retrospect I can't believe how hyper sensitive the sensitivity use to be.

What you need to get use to is using more of your entire arm to aim rather than just your wrist. If you're trying to make your entire range of motion mostly covered by your wrist, there's just not enough accuracy there to do fine aiming.
 
Some things in here are true but in the end everything is practice. You could be the wrist or arm typ (both are valid, wrist will just kill your Hand if you dont take care). Try to lower the sense and work yourself up, use the Ana Training Methode in practice mode

I know a lot of people keep saying practice, but I feel like that's kind of useless advice here since I have been "practicing" for many years: Clearly I'm practicing wrong.
 
I'm fine with the aiming, not great with the big movements and hate the keyboard part of the controls.

Moot for me anymore as I refuse to game at my desk, and it's even worse on the recliner with a lapdesk. I'm also done with MP shooters, and fine playing single player with a controller, so there's really little benefit to practicing/learning for me.
 
Do you move to your target point directly or do you overshoot first and then make a small adjustment?

I used to do the latter, basically making one fast movement to gap the distance quickly and then correct to the right point I wanted to click. However, that's actually slower because you've got to accelerate/decelerate twice. I don't even know why I originally moved my cursor like that but I'm glad I eventually noticed and corrected that. So, in case you're doing something similar, analyze how you actually move your mouse and cursor and see if you're doing sth funky.
 
Do you move to your target point directly or do you overshoot first and then make a small adjustment?

I used to do the latter, basically making one fast movement to gap the distance quickly and then correct to the right point I wanted to click. However, that's actually slower because you've got to accelerate/decelerate twice. I don't even know why I originally moved my cursor like that but I'm glad I eventually noticed and corrected that. So, in case you're doing something similar, analyze how you actually move your mouse and cursor and see if you're doing sth funky.

The latter, but it was moving small movements and I still can't keep it locked on the person. It was like that example where I was Soldier 76 trying to kill the Hanzo that was right in front of me.
 
The latter, but it was moving small movements and I still can't keep it locked on the person. It was like that example where I was Soldier 76 trying to kill the Hanzo that was right in front of me.

Well I certainly recommend changing to a more precise, direct movement then as it certainly helped me. Of course it's really difficult to adapt to that and I wouldn't recommend doing so during stressful games. You have to actively pay attention and work on that during normal internet browsing and stuff. You'll also be much slower at first but that's granted when switching up your paradigm. Eventually you should be overall more precise and quicker because you reduce unnecessary motion and are used to always moving directly to your target point instead of merely the vicinity first.
 
I think a problem a lot of newcomers run into is that they start panicking when they encounter an enemy in front of them, and the aiming suffers as result.
 
Big mousepad makes a difference. You can lower your sensitivity and DPI and still have enough space to aim.

When I first started PC gaming I couldn't figure out the mouse aiming and would get very frustrated. Getting a bigger desk and a bigger mouse pad definitely helped.

I also think movement is just as important as aim. If you can move in an unpredictable manner and stay alive long enough to kill the enemy, you did your job.
 
It's really sad to see people give up on learning new things by the time they are only 30.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV0wTtiJygY

I think it's more a case that I have limited time where I actually play games and trying to get used to another control method, one that I have never been comfortable with seems like a poor use of time playing games.
 
First things off... I used to have a Logitech G700 and I had really bad aim, for the longest time I thought it was me but turns out my G700 was faulty and the sensor was a bit broken, you can test this in paint, start drawing thin lines and see how jerky they come out, mine were incredibly jerky which caused my aim to go all over the place.

Assuming your G700 is fine you're still dealing with a laser sensor and they are really not that good and also very picky about the surface they are on. I strongly suggest moving to optical sensors.

Hardware wise aside... you need to set a baseline for your sensitivity and work from there, I suggest setting 800 DPI for 1080p, don't change your DPI per game and not even for Windows usage.

Start measuring your sensitivity in game by cm per 360, you can track this by measuring how many cm's it takes for you to do a full 360 turn. This is especially useful to keep the same sensitivity across all games.

For Overwatch I suggest starting out at around 7 or 6 sensitivity, lower is better but if you are used at faster sens then it is harder to make the switch but you end up getting used to it. Most pro's use 800 DPI and 5 in game.

In the end all it matters is that you can track your targets comfortably. When playing and practicing don't be too hard on you if you feel you can't track properly, it takes a long time even after small sensitivity changes for you to start getting used to it, most important thing is for you to realize if you are over aiming or under aiming when you try to track the enemy.
 
First things off... I used to have a Logitech G700 and I had really bad aim, for the longest time I thought it was me but turns out my G700 was faulty and the sensor was a bit broken, you can test this in paint, start drawing thin lines and see how jerky they come out, mine were incredibly jerky which caused my aim to go all over the place.

Assuming your G700 is fine you're still dealing with a laser sensor and they are really not that good and also very picky about the surface they are on. I strongly suggest moving to optical sensors.

Hardware wise aside... you need to set a baseline for your sensitivity and work from there, I suggest setting 800 DPI for 1080p, don't change your DPI per game and not even for Windows usage.

Start measuring your sensitivity in game by cm per 360, you can track this by measuring how many cm's it takes for you to do a full 360 turn. This is especially useful to keep the same sensitivity across all games.

For Overwatch I suggest starting out at around 7 or 6 sensitivity, lower is better but if you are used at faster sens then it is harder to make the switch but you end up getting used to it. Most pro's use 800 DPI and 5 in game.

In the end all it matters is that you can track your targets comfortably. When playing and practicing don't be too hard on you if you feel you can't track properly, it takes a long time even after small sensitivity changes for you to start getting used to it, most important thing is for you to realize if you are over aiming or under aiming when you try to track the enemy.

Interesting, I was under the impression you wanted Laser over Optical.

Any particular Optical Mouse you recommend? I always heard things about the Intellimouse 3.0. I used to have a Razer Deathadder, but one of the plastic side buttons broke, which led me to get a new mouse. Otherwise that was my favorite mouse I ever had. I debate getting another Deathadder honesly, but I am tempted by the Intellimouse 3.0
 
For some reason I have always been bad at aiming in FPS/TPS games with a mouse. I think mouse is much better than a controller, but I don't know why, I can't get it right.

I've been bad at it for as long as I can remember, but a particularly recent egregious example is Overwatch. Had an encounter today where I was playing Soldier 76 and there was a Hanzo right in front of me that I was shooting at and barely hit any shots on him. He was jumping around, and I chased this guy for a good 30 seconds and finally shot him when I backed him into a corner, and he almost killed me. I've tried modifying sensitivity, I'm not sure what I am doing wrong.

Is there some fundamental thing I am doing wrong aiming with a mouse? I used to be really into TF2 back in the day, and then I was still bad at it, but I somehow got to where my aim was somewhat passable then. I also have trouble sometimes clicking things in Dota 2 for instance, even though that isn't really the same thing. I feel like my biggest problems are things up close to me, and sniping. Generally any smaller twitch movements I cannot do for some reason.

For some extra information: My mouse is a Logitech G700 (I use this in wired mode). The DPI is set on 1200 with 1000 reports per second polling rate.

Does anyone else have a similar problem and suggestions on how to overcome it?

I have that mouse. It has acceleration built into the sensor. Disabling acceleration in Windows helps, but it's still noticable and throws me off my game. I recently switched to a steel series optical and my accuracy is much better.

That being said, you can still tweak some settings for better performance. First disable Windows mouse acceleration. Then make sure your DPI is in multiples of 90. Not sure what your sensitivity is, but at 1200 DPI you'll want it set around 11%.
 
I have that mouse. It has acceleration built into the sensor. Disabling acceleration in Windows helps, but it's still noticable and throws me off my game. I recently switched to a steel series optical and my accuracy is much better.

That being said, you can still tweak some settings for better performance. First disable Windows mouse acceleration. Then make sure your DPI is in multiples of 90. Not sure what your sensitivity is, but at 1200 DPI you'll want it set around 11%.

I might just end up buying a new mouse then...

Recommendations? Which Steelseries one did you get? Intellimouse 3.0? Another Deathadder?
 
Lower the sensitivity in your games where the movements are like an analog controller. Once you get used to that after awhile, slowly increase it until you find one that suits your needs.

I started mouse aiming with Quake 1 and it's a huge learning curve but extremely worth it. First person games feel so sluggish and imprecise with analog sticks. Usually these days I just keep the default sensitivity in games and adapt. Only if it's super slow will I bump it. Just keep practicing.
 
Interesting, I was under the impression you wanted Laser over Optical.
Any particular Optical Mouse you recommend? I always heard things about the Intellimouse 3.0. I used to have a Razer Deathadder, but one of the plastic side buttons broke, which led me to get a new mouse. Otherwise that was my favorite mouse I ever had. I debate getting another Deathadder honesly, but I am tempted by the Intellimouse 3.0
Optical is generally preferable over laser right now.
I wouldn't bother with an Intellimouse. Low DPI and low polling rates by default, requiring you to load custom USB drivers to overclock it. Not worth the hassle.
Razer's DeathAdder is the mouse which seems to fit my hand best for comfort, though they haven't been the most reliable in my experience.
Logitech have been doing really well lately with actually good wireless gaming mice, and great sensor implementations.
The G203/G403/G502/G900 are all excellent mice - the G403/G900 being wireless options. (which I prefer now)
 
I think my issue is likely wrist aiming and too high sensitivity where I can 360 multiple times with small movements.

Holy crap. Yeah try lowering your sensitivity and definitely bust out that large mouse pad.

In Overwatch, if you're interested in practicing McCree or Widow you can go to custom game and play against Ana bots in skirmish mode with headshot only enabled and you can practice against them. The higher the difficulty of bots, the more erratic their movements will be so give adjust accordingly.

For tracking with characters like 76 I think the best practice is just to play but if you want a little practice, go the practice grounds and follow the robots with your aim. Don't need to shoot them but follow them with your reticle as best you can.
 
I have that mouse. It has acceleration built into the sensor. Disabling acceleration in Windows helps, but it's still noticable and throws me off my game. I recently switched to a steel series optical and my accuracy is much better.

That being said, you can still tweak some settings for better performance. First disable Windows mouse acceleration. Then make sure your DPI is in multiples of 90. Not sure what your sensitivity is, but at 1200 DPI you'll want it set around 11%.

Holy shit, I didn't know this was a thing. Mine doesn't have acceleration but it wasn't something I considered before buying it.
 
Interesting, I was under the impression you wanted Laser over Optical.

Any particular Optical Mouse you recommend? I always heard things about the Intellimouse 3.0. I used to have a Razer Deathadder, but one of the plastic side buttons broke, which led me to get a new mouse. Otherwise that was my favorite mouse I ever had. I debate getting another Deathadder honesly, but I am tempted by the Intellimouse 3.0

Optical is way better and more accurate, currently the best optical sensor on the market is 3366 which was locked by Logitech for a while so only they were able to use it but there are many other sensors on the market that come close.

I currently upgraded my G700 to the Logitech G Pro and what a difference that was, sensor is incredibly precise, mouse is very comfortable and super lightweight which is what you want to FPS's.

I suggest you watch Rocket Jump Ninja videos, take a look at his videos to learn about sensors, mousepads and any mouse you might be interested in, his reviews are the best in youtube for gamers.

Keep in mind that even with the best mice suited for you you still need to practice a lot and continue practicing even when you think you can't get better, it's a very long process so be patient, you will get better with time.
 
I think my issue is likely wrist aiming and too high sensitivity where I can 360 multiple times with small movements.

This is the second most serious issue for bad aiming.

First being mouse acceleration.

Make sure you disable any acceleration either through your mouse programm or windows.

Set Raw Input on ON in the overwatch menu.

Make sure you lower your sensitivity, a lot, you should reach the point where you do a 360 per 28cm.
 
While a clunky mouse/mouse lag could certainly be an issue, I don't think having an amazing mouse would make you instantly better at aiming. you gotta predict your opponent's movement and not just aim right where they are. Like when they jump, aim at where they would land. Once you make it a habit, you'll get a sense of your enemies' movements and is incredibly helpful for sniping as well as pinning down twitchy characters at close encounters
 
I might just end up buying a new mouse then...

Recommendations? Which Steelseries one did you get? Intellimouse 3.0? Another Deathadder?
A new mouse probably won't help you much, if at all. Might feel nicer though, so maybe that's worth it? I bought a Razer Naga with amazing DPI and nothing changed, but the extra buttons are great.

I have the same problems, and notice it a lot in standard MOBAs as well, just trying to click on exactly the right mob or hero and can't quite get there fast enough, always moving my pointer just past or not quite close enough to where I want it to be. It's a big reason why I play support roles, more focused on global strategy than immediate reflex-driven moments. I often wonder if that's just how my brain works: more focused on tactics and strategy, less on precision control, so support roles just feel more natural for multiple reasons. I've always preferred objective map modes in FPS games to death matches because of that extra global strategy rather than just kill everything that moves.
 
Sensitivity issue most likely, start lower and work your way up IMO. I would suggest playing some twitch shooters and adjusting the sensitivity as you're playing.
 
While a clunky mouse/mouse lag could certainly be an issue, I don't think having an amazing mouse would make you instantly better at aiming. you gotta predict your opponent's movement and not just aim right where they are. Like when they jump, aim at where they would land. Once you make it a habit, you'll get a sense of your enemies' movements and is incredibly helpful for sniping as well as pinning down twitchy characters at close encounters
Spending a ton on a new mouse is definitely not going to make you a much better player - that's mostly due to practice.
A bad mouse can hurt your performance though.

With something like a G700, I would assume that the only acceleration would be from the sensor which is typically about 5% or so with a decent laser mouse. (which I assume the G700 is, since it's Logitech)
It's certainly annoying but most people can work around it without it hurting them to much.
It's not going to be like a cheap office mouse that only updates at 125Hz, has negative acceleration issues, and glitches out when you move it too quickly.

A new mouse probably won't help you much, if at all. Might feel nicer though, so maybe that's worth it? I bought a Razer Naga with amazing DPI and nothing changed, but the extra buttons are great.
Generally you don't need much DPI. It's nice to have a sensor that can natively support high DPI settings without any smoothing, but most people only really need 800-1600 DPI.

I have the same problems, and notice it a lot in standard MOBAs as well, just trying to click on exactly the right mob or hero and can't quite get there fast enough, always moving my pointer just past or not quite close enough to where I want it to be.
That might be a latency issue, where your display isn't responding quickly enough and you're overshooting your target.
 
Regarding the new mouse: I honestly do remember at least being slightly better when I was on the Deathadder back in the day, and I could never quite put my finger on it, but something didn't feel right about this mouse, no matter how much I adjusted settings on it.

Regardless, I still will be lowering sensitivity and going from there.
 
Interesting, I was under the impression you wanted Laser over Optical.

Any particular Optical Mouse you recommend? I always heard things about the Intellimouse 3.0. I used to have a Razer Deathadder, but one of the plastic side buttons broke, which led me to get a new mouse. Otherwise that was my favorite mouse I ever had. I debate getting another Deathadder honesly, but I am tempted by the Intellimouse 3.0

Bullshit, I've been using a logitech laser mouse for 10 years with no problems. Optical will have a different feel, but that doesn't mean laser mice sensors are worse. Ergonomics and so many other things weigh more.
 
Regarding the new mouse: I honestly do remember at least being slightly better when I was on the Deathadder back in the day, and I could never quite put my finger on it, but something didn't feel right about this mouse, no matter how much I adjusted settings on it.

Regardless, I still will be lowering sensitivity and going from there.

Even if your sensor is performing fine, the G700 is too big and especially too heavy, it's really bad for low sensitivity which is what you want for FPS's.

You can get around it, especially if you have big hands but getting good is gonna be even harder this way.
 
- make sure mouse acceleration is off
- lower your sensitivity so that a full swipe across the mouse pad is somewhere between 270-360 degrees

Also, if you don't have GSYNC, make sure Vsync is off in your game. Vsync adds a significant amount of input lag which can make aiming a lot harder.
 
Regarding the new mouse: I honestly do remember at least being slightly better when I was on the Deathadder back in the day, and I could never quite put my finger on it, but something didn't feel right about this mouse, no matter how much I adjusted settings on it.
A new mouse can help improve your aim, but it's unlikely to do much if you haven't got the fundamentals down.
If you have difficulty aiming with a mouse, it's not going to suddenly make you good at it - at least if you have even a halfway decent mouse to begin with.
 
A new mouse can help improve your aim, but it's unlikely to do much if you haven't got the fundamentals down.
If you have difficulty aiming with a mouse, it's not going to suddenly make you good at it - at least if you have even a halfway decent mouse to begin with.

I realize that, but being on a mouse that will feel more comfortable will be a huge help for sure. I definitely wasn't any kind of god at aiming, and probably still bad at it, but not as bad as it feels like I am now. Back in the days I had the Deathadder, I was into TF2 and used to be able to handle those close quarters situations somewhat well, even if I did still have the panicky jerky movement times.
 
i started at low sensitivity a year or so ago, now i'm at mid-high sensitivity. used to be a controller only guy for fps games on pc. was awkward when i started using my mouse to aim. it takes time. look up videos for guides on how to use mouse (and wasd) properly, to aim (and move at same time). and practice, practice, practice.

I think a problem a lot of newcomers run into is that they start panicking when they encounter an enemy in front of them, and the aiming suffers as result.

i'm a victim of this. just for multiplayer games. very intimidating. i'm fine with single player games tho, usually.
 
Do what you can do minimize input lag, because it can really mess with the eyes<->hands feedback loop. Disable vsync, or at least set the minimum pre-rendered frames to 1 in the graphics driver.

Maybe try switching your Y axis. Whichever setting you're using for that might not actually be what's intuitive for you
 
Do what you can do minimize input lag, because it can really mess with the eyes<->hands feedback loop. Disable vsync, or at least set the minimum pre-rendered frames to 1 in the graphics driver.

Maybe try switching your Y axis. Whichever setting you're using for that might not actually be what's intuitive for you

I came to post this inverting Y. Do you feel like you are fighting yourself when you try to look up or down?

(I play either way, but I have a ton of practice with both, and usually stick to non-inverted for mouse, and inverted Y for controllers, yay flight sims)
 
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